The Joker Awakens
by MrJLostInWords
Summary: Jack started out as a normal gentleman. With a promising career as a plastic surgeon, a beautiful girl who was soon to be his fiancé, what could have possibly happened to turn him into the monster we all love to hate today? As it turns out, plenty... Rated M for content in future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**ACT** **ONE**

Jack slipped on his best pair of dancing shoes. Sturdy. Shiny. Black.

He licked his lips, humming to himself as he stood in front of the mirror, dusting down his purple suit. He looked quite handsome, dressed to the nines, ready to dance the night away under the glittering full Moon. With one last futile attempt at pushing down his wild hair, he skipped off into the night.

The ballroom was ablaze with conversation. Everywhere he looked Jack could see Gotham's richest and finest waltzing through the game of carefully constructed conversation. He stood out like a sore thumb amongst the sea of black and white, but he didn't care. Nothing was going to spoil his night.

He grabbed a drink off one of the many servants, letting the champagne warm his belly as he surveyed the scene before him. A gigantic chandelier hung over the centre of the room, ladened with diamonds the size of fists. He let out a low whistle. The cost of it was probably more than Jack would ever make in a lifetime.

Down either side of the room were two long tables, filled to the brim with caviar, oysters, lobsters, chocolate fountains and other such frivolities. In the centre of the room was the dance floor, where Lords and Ladies were twirling the night away, moving in perfect sync. Jack couldn't help but see the ballroom as a game of chess – each move perfectly practised, each word studiously scrutinised. After all, when you played with the big dogs, there wasn't room for mistakes. And Jack didn't plan on making any.

Tonight was a perfect opportunity for him to pitch his plans to Mr. Wayne, a lucrative businessman who had far more money than sense. With his funding and expertise on his side, Jack could finally harness his skills as a plastic surgeon – forever making Gotham a prettier place to live. He was just about to make his move to the philanthropist when –

"You sure do scrub up well, Jack." He span on the spot, seeking the source of the voice. Lips red as blood, eyes sharp like a raven's, Elitha Goode exuded beauty like no other woman Jack had ever met. She shone like an emerald in her glittering green gown, her long dark hair dusted with a sprinkling of glitter.

"I – uh, you –"

"What's the matter, bat got your tongue?"

"I think the phrase is "cat", Elitha," Jack replied. Before he knew it, her hand was in his, the other wrapped around her small waist, and they were off waltzing in the centre of the room with the other Lords and Ladies.

"Hm. Well, I was never one to play by the rules."

"And that's why I love you so," Jack replied, grinning. His hand strayed from her waist and fondled the box in his pocket. Tonight was the night.

In his distraction, he fumbled, his feet standing on Elitha's. She yelped and tripped, with Jack only catching her at the last moment. Another pair of dancers crashed into the couple, tutting and muttering as they waltzed away.

"I'm so sorry, my dear," Jack apologised.

"Don't be," she replied, batting a hand away. She was shrieking with laughter, fat tears streaming down her pale cheeks. He lifted her up effortlessly, Elitha whooping with glee.

"And that is why I love you, Jack." She paused, looking at her lover as if seeing him for the first time. "You're so… Unconventional." She fumbled with her shoes, slipping off her high heels, raising a few questionable eyebrows from some of the women.

"Come, I've had enough of dancing." She walked through the crowd, parting it as if it were water, leading Jack by his hand. They stepped out onto the terrace, where only a handful of guests remained, huddled under various candles dotted about here and there.

Summer was in the air. Roses and honeysuckles hugged the mansion, their bright flowers sending their scents into the night. The Moon hung in the sky, smiling down at the scene before her. It was unusual for the white little rock to be visible from Gotham. Usually it was hidden behind a veil of acrid smoke, but on that night she graced the land with her silver rays. It truly was a blessed night.

"Got a smoke?" Elitha asked.

"Thought you were giving up," Jack mused, slipping her a cigarette nevertheless.

"Oh you know me," she mumbled, lighting up the night with the flick of a lighter, "I can never resist temptation." Her face was lost in a haze of smoke. Jack fondled the box once more, building up the courage to get down on one knee. He'd rehearsed it a thousand times in his head; telling her she was the light of his life, her crying and saying yes, them spending the rest of their lives together…

"You two look like a right pair of gamblers!" And, just like that, the moment was shattered. Lost forever. Jack swallowed.

"Excuse me?" A man had swanned over, his breath stinking of whiskey. His top few shirt buttons were undone, and his tie was loosening around his neck. In his hands were a pack of playing cards.

"You two lovebirds are in luck!" He staggered on the spot, his words slurring together. "Me and my pal are playin' a game of cards, and we need yous to join us."

"No, thank you," Jack declined politely.

"Come ooooooooon," the stranger implored. "Just one lil' game." Elith leant forward.

"We can take these goons for all they have," she whispered, her eyes dancing. "Ten minutes and we'll have them, you'll see."

Elith was right. Thirteen minutes and twelve seconds later the game of euchre was won. The pair of drunkards handed over thick wads of cash – plus a rather handsome looking watch – and had admitted defeat. Elitha was one of the best swindlers in the entire city, so for her it was as easy as taking candy from a baby, but far more rewarding.

"Damn," one of the men said, slamming his fist on the table.

"Sorry, gentlemen. But Elith here is unbeatable." He counted his cash. Three hundred dollars. That should help pay off for the loan he took out just for his suit.

"How 'bout a rematch? All or 'nuffin."

"Unfortunately for you, you have nothing left to gamble," Elith pointed out. The drunk wailed in protest as Jack and his beloved meandered back inside, their pockets considerably heavier.

"Here, I slipped you this," Elith said, as Jack poured the pair another glass of bubbly. She pulled out a playing card from her cleavage, a wicked smile on her face.

"The Joker? Really?" Jack asked, crooking an eyebrow.

"Yes." She leaned in closer. "To remind you that together, you and I can do anything we put our minds to. We can make Gotham bow to us if we so wish." Her voice was a whisper against his skin, giving him goosebumps.

"Cheers to that, my dear." They clinked their glasses, before getting lost in each other's lips.


	2. Chapter 2

**ACT TWO**

 _It_ _all starts to go to shit…_

"And so, you see, it's _revolutionary_!" Jack implored, his eyes wide with passion. "My services will offer surgery like no other, cheap, quick, yet reliable."

A few Lords had gathered around, watching his pitch intently, hanging on his every word. Jack commanded his audience with pride, punctuating his words with purpose.

"Every scar, every imperfection… Gone! I will take the ugly and turn it into something beautiful. With my skill, nobody has to be ashamed again. Nobody has to hide away from the world, afraid to step out into the light. I will give people the opportunity to live.

"Every freak in Gotham no longer has to be an outcast. I can wipe the slate clean for them, offer them new lives, a chance at normality." He paused, looking around the room. His eyes locked with Elitha's and his stomach flipped. "A chance for love."

At this there was a scoff from the crowd, loud enough that Jack couldn't pretend to ignore it.

"And how, exactly, do you propose to do that?" It was Wayne's wife. A slim figure wrapped in black.

"I – uh – well-"

"You have no credentials, virtually no business plan whatsoever, and can barely string a sentence together." Jack's face flushed crimson. A scattering of giggles rippled through the crowd. And then Jack realised. They weren't captivated by his words. They were _humouring_ him.

"That's why I'm asking for your investment," he mumbled, his voice stripped of all his bravado. His heart was a bird trapped in a rib cage, desperately trying to burst out of his chest.

"Sweetie, business is steeped in cold, hard reality," Mrs Wayne eyed him up and down, a dangerous smile smacked across her lips. "And the truth is, nobody is going to invest in a clown." There was a roar of laughter from the elite, their glasses sloshing as they jeered at the frail entrepreneur.

"Yeah, tell us a joke instead, clown boy!" More laughter erupted.

"Do a balloon trick!" Another jeered.

Jack bolted. The laughter of the aristocracy still echoing in the back of his mind, bouncing around his skull manically. He ran through the crowd, toppling silver platters and sending canapés flying. He didn't know how theyd found out about his day job. He supposed he should've expected it. The only reason he was invited to the ball was because one of his clients had a spare ticket and was feeling generous. And, amongst nobility, word spread fast.

Jack didn't know where he was going as he ran, all he knew was that he needed to get away. Away from it all.

A firm hand grabbed his arm, forcing him to come to a halt.

"Jack." The word was lost on him. All he could see was their laughing faces, whirring around his subconscious.

"Jack, don't listen to them." It was Elitha. "They're assholes." As she spoke her face slowly came into vision. Those eyes. Those lovely, lovely dark eyes.

"Those assholes are the only ones who can help me. Who can help us." Jack paused, slowing his breathing down. "You deserve a better life than one who does party tricks for a living. You deserve a King, not a jester."

"Jack, listen to me," she cupped his pale face in her hands, gazing directly into his eyes. "I don't care. I don't care what you think I deserve. I don't care whether we eat rice and beans every day, or drown ourselves in caviar. I just want you. Wholeheartedly, unreservedly, unconditionally."

Jack swallowed. His suit was caked in smeared food. His shoes were scuffed. He had cigarettes on his breath. But he knew that this was the elusive moment he'd been chasing all night.

He got down on one knee, and reached into his pocket.

"Jack, what are you –"

"Just… Hear me out, okay?" He opened the box, inside was a ring, a huge diamond surrounded by rubies that danced like fire. "Ever since I met you, I've felt… Whole. Ever since my parents died, I haven't been complete. I was lost. But then I met you." His voice broke slightly. He cleared it and carried on. "You were my light in my darkness. All of my summers rolled into one. The rose to my thorn. We're meant to be together, Elitha… So, what I'm asking is… Will you spend the rest of your life with this silly old clown?"

"Yes," Elitha replied, flashing him a huge grin. "A thousand times yes."

The pair danced the night away, lost in each other's arms. They were so besotted with each other that they were completely unaware of the whispers about them spreading through the room, of the steely, disapproving gazes directed at them.

Elitha rested her head against Jack's chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. They waltzed in the centre of the ballroom, the chandelier above them glistening in the candlelight.

"So that's it, then?" Jack asked. "We're spending the rest of our lives together? For better or for worse?"

"That's the general idea," Elitha teased. "And I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather take the journey with."

"Really?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Nobody better than a clown?"

"Oh please. At least I'll always have somebody to make me laugh."

"That you will, my princess."

"My jester," she replied tenderly, her words like silk. "Forever and always." He took her hand and tenderly planted a kiss net her fingers. Her skin was soft. It always was.

"Jack," she said, her tone suddenly a tad firmer. She took him by both of his hands. "Before we go through with this, I have to be completely honest with you. There can't be any secrets between us, right?"

"Not a single one."

"It's… To do with my past and my family. When you –"

But Jack never got to hear her secret. There was suddenly an almighty crash from above, sounding like thunder. The jingling of a thousand jewels roared through the room, as several of the Lords and Ladies screamed in horror, their gazes focuses on the ceiling.

It was as if everything was in slow motion. The chandelier came hurtling to the ground, twisting and turning in the air as it fell. Jack grabbed Elitha by the shoulders, he pushed her with all of his might, throwing her out of harm's way. But he didn't throw her far enough. The chandelier twisted as the pair hit the floor. The chandelier crashed into the marble with a tumultuous crash, sending diamonds and gold flying everywhere. Pain burst into life as Jack's face was scratched open by a flying diamond, his leg crushed by the chandelier. He turned on his side, desperately to find Elitha.

She was trapped. Gold was pressing down directly on her back. Blood was pouring out of her mouth, red as a rose.

"Elitha," Jack wheezed, struggling to keep conscious. "Elitha!" Her head turned to him, rolling. Her usual glittering eyes were pale and milky, as if all of the life was oozing out of her.

"Stay with me, Elitha." Tears were running down his face, warm and sticky. He couldn't lose her. Her just couldn't. "You're going to be fine. You are, I promise."

"Jack…" She coughed, more flecks of blood flying out of her mouth.

"Me and you are going to get married, aren't we?" He reassured, though his words were coming through muffled sobs. "And we're going to buy a big house, far from Gotham. And we'll have kids! Lots of them. As many as you want… Just… Stay with me."

"Jack, listen…" Her words were soft as a whisper, barely touching her lips. "You… You were enough. You were always enough…"

And then there was silence. Unbearable, heavy, silence.

"Elitha? ELITHA!" Jack screamed, his throat practically ripping in two. He wept as he lay beneath the fallen chandelier, staring at his fiancé. Her eyes were wide open, but she would see no more. Elitha was dead.

The world swam in a blur of sound and colour. All Jack saw was red. The colour danced before his eyes, before the world around him faded to black.


End file.
